I haven’t written for a while because I have been so busy just keeping up with what’s urgent.

I seem to spend the weekdays visiting people to ask for help of various kinds of things and the evenings doing more of the same or following up on what I’ve been doing during the day. I can make some progress at the weekends but it’s hard to catch people on the phone then.

I am really starting to question the wisdom of trying to organise the 500 miles Challenge on the same day as the ball!

I don’t think I have mentioned yet that I am also planning to have a modest band platform in Festival Square all day during the 500 miles Challenge onto which school bands and other young bands will be invited to play short sets. I am hoping that some of these bands will also play acoustically for me - for a mile! I have been getting extraordinarily generous advice and assistance from Rab Randall with this! The big issue is insurance to cover this activity – whether I can get it - and what it will cost.

I don’t mean to sound gloomy in the slightest. Support has been overwhelming and I’ve had a very positive response from most people I have approached.

The Miles for Smiles ball has sold out already meaning that there should be over 720 guests on the night. That makes me wonder if the ticket price was maybe too low but I guess I’d rather have a full room!

I am working up some very special auction prizes – which money definitely could not buy. It’s actually very good fun dreaming up experiences that guests might be tempted to pay for – if harder working out how to make them a reality.

I have a good number of amazing raffle prizes but a long way to go on that mission because I need a prize for each of the 72 tables – including 12 special ones.

It certainly exciting collecting the mail these days – and for that I have to thank Morningside Mail Boxes Etc who have given 500 miles a free mail box – with box number “500”!